Pneumatically-reinforced casing for aeronautic carriers



N. B. WALES.

PNEUMATICALLY REINFORCED CASING FOR AE'RONAUTIC CARRIERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1919- RENEYVED NOV. 29,1920- 1,364,596, Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL B. WALES, OF NEW YORK, N.-Y.',-ASSIGNOR TO WALES PNEUMATIC PARACHUTE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, .N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

, PNEUMATICALLY-REINFORCED CASING FOB AERONAUTIC oARRmRs.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 4, 1921,

Application filed January 24, 1919, SeriaLNo. 272,840, Renewed November 29,- 1920. Serial No. 427,212.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, NATHANIEL B; VVALEs, a citizen of the I nlted States, residing at New Yorluiu the county of New York and provide pneumatic means of reinforcing the casings or covering of aeronautic carriers which will afford great rigidity and strength when inflated, but without materially adding to the weight of the fabric, and permitting it to be collapsed or folded into compact form for storage or transportation. I

Various devices for stiffening the bodies of balloons,,air ships, and parachutes have been proposed, consisting usually of a frame or skeleton of Wood, metal or other material possessing the requisite inherent strength and rigidity, but these are objectionable among other reasons on account of their weight and bulk. difficulty in construction and because they cannot be collapsed into compact form.

It has also been proposed to construct a framework of tubes which may be inflated and to which the covering may be attached, or to construct the casing with double walls which may be inflated as a whole or in separate sections. Both of these constructions require an excessive amount of gas for inflation and do not afford the proper truss construction which is requisite to withstand the stresses to which aeronaut'ic carriers are subjected.

I have overcome the difliculties encountered and the inherent defects in such prior constructions by incorporating a multicellular pneumatic reinforcement in the fabric of the covering or casing. I have found that a far more rigid construction may be obtained by sub-dividing each reinforcing element into a multi-cellular structure, the combined strength and resistance to bending .of-the compound element being much greater than the same number of individual pneumatic strands would afford. This increased strength and rigidity of the compound multi-cellular reinforcing element is the resultant effect of a number of causes which will be apparent to engineers. Each individual pneumatic strand or component tends to maintain its form and resists lateral bending stresses, this resistance belng greater in proportion to its diameter than the reduction in size, or in other words, if the reinforcing element is composed for instance, of three pneumatic tubular strands, each strand possesses more than one-third the rigidity of a single tube having a cross-sectional area equal to that of the entire element. Again, a greater pneu- I matic pressure may be maintained in the multi-cellular element than could be employed in a single tubular element of the same size with the same stress upon the material. It is obvious therefore, that I am enabled to obtain a far greater rigidity and strength by employing multi-cellular reinforcing elements and with a smaller total,

pneumatic capacity.

For the purpose of clearly disclosing my invention, I shall refer in the following description to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the upper portion of a parachute provided with ,a multi-cellular reinforcing element shown in section which embodies my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary side elevations showing my invention applied to dirigible balloons; and Figs. 4, 5,

6 and 7 are detail views of my multi-cellular pneumatic reinforcing element.

As previously stated. I have found that the casing or covering for aeronautic bodies or carriers may be reinforced most effectively by incorporating the stiffening elements with the fabric as integral portions thereof. I have also found that I can secure the requisite rigidity and strength necessary to resist the enormous stresses and strains to which aeronautic carriers are sub .jected by providing reinforcing elements tubes which are adapted to be -inflated to constitute pneumatic strands of the re;in-

forcing element or rib member are preferably united where they abut-b a vulcanized joint,'so that the plurality tubes constitute an integral structure. They are then i attached to the fabric constituting the cov- 2O forcing elements of a plurality of longitudiering or casing by being vulcanized thereto in any suitable manner. I prefer to em-' ploy an enveloping strip of fabric 3, which is secured upon either longitudinal edge to the fabric sheet 5, preferably by vulcanization. In some cases the envelop 3, for a series of reinforcing elements may be made from a continuous sheet of material vulcanized to the main fabric sheet between the ribs.

I have previously pointed out certain of the peculiar and great advantages which I obtain by constructing the pneumatic reinnal cells of small diameter and wherein this constructlon possesses far greater strength and rigidity than a single tube having the .forded in planes through two of the pneumatic strands.

same cross-sectional area as the multi-cellular element. It is to be noted also that greater lateral rigidity and strength is afpassing diametrically Thus in t'hearrangement shown in Fig. 5, I obtain the greatest rigidity in planes per pendicular to the fabric 5. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the three pneumatic strands are symmetrically arranged, great rigidity is afforded Tin the two planes at an angle tothe fabric and which are parallel to the inclined sides of the envelop 3 and also in a plane parallel with the fabric 5.

Whenthis multi-cellular reinforcing element is applied to the casing or covering of a parachute the multi-cellular reinforcing element may be secured to or incorporated with the fabric in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 forming an annular rib around the base of the parachute cover or at its largest diameter. The channels of the small tubes 2 of the pneumatic multi-cellular reinforcing element are connected in any suitable manner, as by a flexible tube to a tank of compressed non-infiammable gas which is con-- trolled by a valve, in the manner well undel stood, so that when the aviator is to make his descent by means of the parachute, which is usually carried in a bag or pocket attached to the aviators jacket, or in any other suit-,

able manner, the parachute will be instantly opened outwardly into its distended shape as soon as the compressed gas is permitted to pass into the multi-cellular reinforcing element. v

i The fabric covering of air-ships or dirigible balloons, may be reinforced in the same manner by means of my multi-cellular pneumatic reinforcing-elements and these reinforcements may constitute ribs extending either longitudinally, as illustrated in Fig, 2

or transversely as illustrated in Fig. 3.

When these multi-cellular elements are defiated they may be pressed down against the fabric backing so that they are nearly flat as illustrated in Fig. 71 The rubberized fabric of which the cells of my pneumatic reinforcing elements are formed is very thin and ,fle'xible so that the casing may be folded and packed away with substantially the same facility as it could be if the multi-cellular reinforcements were not present.

I have described in detail the particular construction illustrated in the accompanymulti-cellular structure having the cell channels continuous throughout the extent of said element and adapted to be connected to a source of pneumatic pressure.

2. A fabric covering material adapted for the casings of aeronautic bodies, comprising a rubberized fabric, and a multi-cellular pneumatic reinforcing element secured thereto having a plurality of tubular cells extending longitudinally thereof throughout the extent of the element and adapted to be inflated by connection to a source of pneupneurnatic pressure.

3. A pneumatic reinforcing element for the fabric casing or covering of aeronautic carriers, such as parachutes, comprising a plurality of tubular cells of flexible fabric incorporated into. a multi-cellular structure, said cells extending longitudinally throughout the extent of the element and adapted to be united to the covering material;

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHANIEL B. WALES.- 

